Research

We place research at the centre of our activities and are fully committed to working in an interdisciplinary fashion, maximising impact for the good of the economy, business community and wider society.

In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) we were ranked 6th (out of 101 UK business schools) for the quality of our output with only the 'Golden Triangle' (Oxbridge and London) placing higher. Our reputation and track record is one of distinction and consistency. We are one of only two business schools in the UK to be ranked in the top ten of each of the Government’s five assessment exercises since 1992.

Notably, the 2014 REF also cited the excellence of our research environment for which we achieved a first place position. Facilitating a vibrant, supportive and collegiate research environment is important to us and is a significant contributing factor to the success of our PhD programme. The programme has 150 PhD students studying at any one time and a substantial proportion of them are funded by scholarships obtained from funding bodies including the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and a number of private sector organisations.

Our research, conducted by an international faculty of scholars working at the forefront of their subject areas, benefits a wide range of stakeholders, from students and business practitioners to government and society at large. Our impact is considerable, and in line with our public value strategy is increasingly directed to addressing the grand challenges and social ills facing us.

However, interdisicplinarity has become a central principle of our research approach. We are home to a number of active and effective specialist interdisciplinary research centres and groups, working with colleagues within the School and from across the University.